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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. scale — in music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. root — of a word
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chair — a leader
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. root — the cause
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — a group
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com